This is a sponsored post and I have been compensated. However, all opinions are 100% mine. Isn’t it crazy how much a teen changes from 13 to 18? My daughter, like most teens, has changed her tastes dramatically in that time period. The clothes and how her room was decorated at 13-15 definitely reflects a younger palette.

As Caitlin is on the brink of her 20’s, her style has matured. Now she has decided it is time to make some changes to her room. Thank goodness Photowall offers easy and affordable home decor ideas when you want to update your home! Photowall is a Swedish company that produces beautiful murals, wallpaper and canvas prints.

Their products are environmentally-friendly, fire-retardant, and don’t fade from the sunlight. Photowall’s murals are non-woven and can be ordered as either standard or premium. Working with over 70 designers worldwide, Photowall has 3000 motifs to choose from. You can also customize Photowall wall decor with your own image.

If that’s not enough, The canvas prints from Photowall are made from 100% cotton. Just like their murals, Photowall works with international illustrators and designers. This allows them to offer their customers the best and most unique motifs. Prices for the canvas prints begin at $43.

Order our Spot of Rain canvas print from Photowall was super easy. First we decided on the canvas option and searched through their huge selection of options. Caitlin fell in love with the Spot of Rain print. We chose the DIY Frame, wrap edge and cropped the print the the dimensions Caitlin wanted for her wall.

Once we had everything locked in, we were ready to checkout. We confirmed the information was correct, chose our shipping option and were ready to pay. Once we had the payment option secured, we placed our order. We received emails along the way to keep us abreast of the processing, shipping and tracking of our order.

Once our print arrived, Caitlin was ready to get started! The DIY frame was very easy to put together. Everything you need comes with the frame, but we used pliers to help tighten as our hand strength is pretty wimpy! I so recommend you do not tighten the screws 100% until you have placed the canvas on the frame.

Each side of the frame has an adhesive strip to secure the sides of the canvas. These peel off very easily. Next you just line up the canvas with the edges of the frame. Once you are happy with the placement, you can press down to make sure the canvas is on the frame securely.

As you can see from the photo, there is a section cut out of each corner. This is where you want to have your frame loosened a bit so you can tuck each of the corners under. This is when we used the pliers to make sure the corners were nice and tight. Caitlin was so happy! She could not wait to hang her new canvas print in her room! It looks fantastic! Be sure to follow Photowall on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

For Kicking it with Kelly readers, Photowall is offering a fantastic discount! You can get 20% off the entire collection using kickingitwkellycampaign2018. This code is valid until 15 of April 2018.

I would love to hear what you think of Photowall! Would you order a canvas print, a wall mural or wallpaper? Please share in the comments below!

The light in your front porch is more than just a means to find your way to your front door. Choosing the right one can help to set the ambiance of your home and draw the right level of attention to your home. If you have ever driven down a street at night you will almost certainly find that your eye is drawn to the house which is well lit and well presented.

In fact, the right front porch light can increase the value and curb appeal of your home. Most people don’t think about the front porch light until it’s broken and they need the services of electricaldetectives.com.au. If you do have an issue with your light or don’t yet have one then the following ideas can help you to find the perfect porch light.

This is a classic look and provides a good level of light in a pool under it. This can leave dark corners in your porch but the main area will look accessible.
This type of light is excellent for any home which favors the traditional, elegant style.

You can complement the pendant light with side lights to ensure there are no dark areas in your porch. Or you can simply use side lights to create a bright, welcoming look without blinding your guests, or passers-by. Side lights also provide a nice amount of symmetry which can be especially beneficial if you have a wide doorway.

Make your home look like it has just emerged from a bygone period by installing lanterns. These can be designed to look modern or antique; depending on the look of your home and your personal preferences. A hanging lantern will give your front porch an air of nostalgia while being modern enough to provide a good source of light. You can also vary the height they are hung up to move the light range from bright to ambient, or anywhere in between.

Photo Credit: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com

String Lights

This is an alternative approach which can be easily adjusted to fit your mood or the seasons. String lights are available in a variety of colors and can be draped across the front porch round the edge or in a patter across the window. String lights are not always that bright but can create a pretty picture and will give you enough light to find your keyhole and get safely into your home.

It is important to consider whether you want to add sensor lights into your security set-up and your porch lights. This will prevent you from having to put them on before you go out but you may lose some of the curb appeal as your light will not always be on. It is also worth considering extending your porch lighting down your front path. Post lights can be a beautiful way of doing this as they will create a walkway of light, attracting admiring glances from others and making it easy for you to locate your home and front door!

This is a sponsored post and I have been compensated. However, all opinions are 100% mine. When my kids were little, they were so much easier to buy for! They loved to color, watch animated DVD’s, ride bikes and play silly board games. Now they are teens and they are incredibly hard to buy for! My daughter gave me a short list, so I was able to get her a handful of gifts. My son however, said he liked “whatever” and went in his room to play Call of Duty on his Xbox. Well, Christmas is a few weeks away and I was beginning to panic!

We rent, so we have to watch what we put on the walls. I don’t want to lose a hefty security deposit because I have a ton of nail holes on the walls! Instead, I have found how much I love wall decals from Fathead! Their adhesive wall graphics are so easy to install! You don’t need tacks, nails or tape. You just peel and stick! Caitlin was able to put the Call of Duty: WWII Collection we got for Henry’s room in less than 10 minutes. It was an early Christmas gift and he LOVED it!

If you have not been to the Fathead website, you are in for such a treat! And now is the perfect time to check them out! The folks over at Fathead have carefully and thoughtfully put together the perfect gift guide for anyone on your holiday gift list! Is your husband or son a sports fan? Is your daughter a Doctor Who fanatic like mine? Or do you have someone you want to create a one-of- a-kind Custom Creations for? You are going to go nuts when you see everything Fathead has to offer!

I will be honest. I have purchased wall decals before. I was pretty disappointed in the quality. One decal tore before I could get it up on the wall! With Fathead, you will not have issues with their quality. It is top notch! I love their crisp and clear images. Henry’s Call of Duty: WWII Collection decals are seriously the best I have ever used. I cannot wait to get Caitlin’s Doctor Who decal for her door! She will be ecstatic!

If you have gifts left to buy, and I bet you do, Fathead is where you need to go! They have decals from Sports, Disney, or Entertainment. They actually have over 100 licenses to select from. Right now, Fatheads has a great sale going on through 12/21. You can save 20% on orders over $98.99 or more, and no promo code is needed. Also, on orders of $98.99 or more will receive free standard shipping within the 48 contiguous states. Be sure to follow Fathead on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Which of the amazing Fathead wall graphics will you be buying for Christmas and for who? I cannot wait to hear!

This review is based strictly on my opinion. I was provided the sample free of charge by the company to provide my honest review. No other type of compensation was received. All ideas and opinions are my own. OK, don’t panic, but Thanksgiving is just a few days away! I realized I still had food shopping and decorating to do. We got most of the groceries we needed over the weekend. The only thing I needed to do was to decorate the table. What to do, what to do!? Make this gorgeous Easy Rustic Fall Or Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece with fall and Thanksgiving decor and craft supplies we purchased from Oriental Trading of course!

I just love Oriental Trading! Their products are top notch and the prices are affordable. If I know what my craft project is, a quick search will take me right to the supplies I need. If I need some DIY inspiration, I refer to their Fun365 website where I can find DIY and crafting projects for just about any occasion. Caitlin and I have made several DIY projects inspired by ideas from there, including the gorgeous DIY Floral Easter Egg Wreath. I cannot wait to show you what we are making for Christmas!

If you like to allow the wood grain to show through, wipe the stain with a clean cloth. If not, add one more coat of stain.

My original intent was to use the Monogram Stencils and paint the word we had chosen. Try as we might, we kept smearing the paint. We ended up using some adhesive letters we found. It would have been great to have made the stencils work but I do love our burlap letters. We discussed so many words to use. I said I wanted to have something that resonated with our family. Caitlin came up with “loving.” Oh my heart, I love that girl!

Cut and place floral foam where you will be inserting your faux fall flowers, greenery and foliage. Cover with moss, hay or straw. *I was going to use mason jars and insert the fall flowers, greenery and foliage into them. We decided we liked them better without. Experiment! You may find you like that looks and it works for you!

Add your faux fall flowers, greenery and foliage. Caitlin and I had so much fun deciding where to put each piece and looked best with what.

Add some of your pine cones, but save some for the table!

Carefully take your moss out of the bag and unroll onto the table. This is real moss, so it is fragile. Be gentle!

Place your Easy Rustic Fall Or Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece on top of the moss. Arrange your Gourds, pumpkins, and other fall decor around the centerpiece. See how our Meepy girl is making sure everything looks beautiful?!

Step back and take in how gorgeous your Easy Rustic Fall Or Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece is!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine. What is your decorating style? Do you prefer traditional, modern, eclectic or a mixture of different styles? If I had to define my style, it would be mostly traditional with a bit of eclectic and some farmhouse rustic thrown in. But one thing I am certain of is how much I love to fill my home with home decor items that make our space feel inviting, cozy and comfortable. When I find an accessory that is out of the ordinary, I will snap it up in a heartbeat. My new favorite will be yours soon!

I discovered Lightbox Arts and I am obsessed! Their backlit 6×6 LED boxes are a fantastic way to customize your space. Lightbox Arts are a unique way to decorate your home. They offer small lightbox art that fits in any space with any theme. They’re small enough that you can put them on your desk at work, or stack them together for an unforgettable, one of a kind look. They can also be a fun and unique lighting solution for young kids. The light is soft enough that you could also put one in your bathroom as a night light.

You can choose from hundreds of pre-made designs for every season and every occasion. Or you can design your own with an easy to use design tool on their website. You can connect to a Photo Stream or your Instagram library to make any image into a lightbox. They are super easy to change out. There is an opening in the bottom of the box that you slip the artwork in and out of. There is a rubber stopper to keep it in place until you are ready to slip in a new look! The boxes come in brown, white, black and gray and are made from sturdy MDF.

Lightbox Arts’ boxes are eco-friendly thanks to the use of LED lights. You can also change what art you have on display in them means there’s less being thrown away as you change your style. They are available in an array of photos and lettering, so what you put in them is only limited by your your imagination. There are fun designs for the kids, or inspirational quotes for your home or office. If you want to decorate for the holidays, Lightbox Arts has you covered there too!

Decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day and more. For whatever mood you are in, Lightbox Arts has the artwork for you! And at just $20 for each box and $12 for the artwork, you can easily add to your collection as you see fit. They also make a wonderful housewarming, birthday, or holiday gift. You can purchase yours online at Lightbox Arts as well as over 600 gift stores. Be sure to follow them on Facebook,, Twitter and Instagram. Enter to win a Lightbox Arts LED Art Box & the Grateful Heart Bird and Wish with Snowman Art Panels ARV $45

Aren’t the Lightbox Arts unique? Which artwork would you choose and which room would you put your Lightbox Arts in?

This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions about my Dorel Home Products Mainstays Mattress and how to decorate the perfect dorm room on a budget are all mine. How did my baby girl become a college student already? Wasn’t she starting Kindergarten a few minutes ago?! This is an exciting time for us. Caitlin will be the third person in our family to go to college. And this is over a span of many generations. That is something to celebrate!

Now that the excitement has subsided, it is time to focus our attention to getting Caitlin set up at school. We have had a lot of fun shopping for the dorm room necessities. I had no idea how much stuff she needed! It was a daunting process! I wanted to write this help parents navigate this experience without stress. Do you have a kid who is college bound? Before you start shopping, here are my top tips on how to decorate the perfect dorm room on a budget.

How To Decorate The Perfect Dorm Room On A Budget

Take Stock Of What You Have: There is no need to shop for things you already have. Caitlin found several items in her room she could transfer to her dorm room. When you do this step, be sure your child has everything they need back at home when they come back for visits.

Visit The Dorm Room: Before you start shopping, know what you are working with. Take your measuring tape and something to take notes with when you visit the dorm room. If you know who your kids roommate is, contact them. Check to see what they are bringing. This can save you time, money and effort. No need to buy an area rug or fridge if the roomie already has one!

Shop At Thrift Stores: My daughter loves anything vintage. We found some great thrift store decor that was perfect for her dorm room. We save a huge part of the budget with these treasures.

Choose A Good Mattress: Your child needs to get the proper amount of sleep in college. They need a good mattress to ensure they get a good night’s rest. But mattresses can be hugely expensive. We found a great option with the Mainstays 8″ Memory Foam Mattress from Walmart. It is well made, affordable and perfect for Caitlin’s dorm room.

Get Creative: Save on store bought decor when you can make your own. Making your own shelves can save you a ton. Take a bright metal trash can and flip it upside down. Now you have an eclectic side table! Save on expensive picture frames for the walls. Frame your photos with washi tape instead. It looks so cool! Brighten up those boring walls with removable wallpaper. Use string lights on your bed. You can read with them but they won’t bother your roommate if they are sleeping!

Make A Snack Station: College kids need to keep up their strength. Instead of buying expensive cafeteria food, set up a snack and drink station for them. Refill it on your weekly visits. If you live too far to visit, a care package will be a welcome treat!

Kids Need Their Rest

We know kids function better when they have had a good night’s sleep. Heck, we all do! I slept poorly for many years. I thought it was due to my insomnia. Turns out I also had a bad mattress. Once I replaced it, I was sleeping better than I had for a long time. Did you know you should replace your mattress at least every 10 years? According to the National Sleep Foundation, you should. They also said you should replace it earlier if you don’t sleep well.

Finding The Perfect Mattress

When we shopped for Caitlin’s mattress, I had several things I wanted. It had to be comfortable and a good value for the price. because we shop at Walmart all the time, they were our go-to when shopping for our dorm room mattress. When we found the Mainstays 8″ Memory Foam Mattress, we knew it was perfect for our needs. When you buy your mattress, you have two delivery options. You can have it shipped to your home or it is also available for Walmart pickup. Either one was convenient for us.

Unboxing Your Mattress Is Half The Fun!

If you have never opened a memory foam mattress from a box, you are missing out! It was so much fun! I know, it sounds like we don’t get out much, but it is true. We were able to get the box to Caitlin’s room with ease. I will tell you. The box itself is well sealed. It made me feel good knowing how secure our mattress was. Once we got the mattress from the cardboard, we opened the plastic covering. Once the mattress is “free”, it is like it takes a breath! It expands as it unfolds onto the bed. Super cool!

A Mattress For Many Needs

I love that the Mainstays 8″ Memory Foam Mattress from Walmartis so versatile. You can use it for your dorm room, the kid’s or your room or the guest room. It is great for a bedroom update or to keep up with your growing family! And it is affordable with a price of $88 for a twin to $199 for a queen. I also feel safe using the DHP Mattresses for my family.

This is a guest post. I agree with these tips for designing the perfect man cave. The concept of a “Man Cave” can seem kind of silly, or even old fashioned. But once you get past the name, it’s a pretty appealing idea, and not just for men. The idea is to set up a retreat within your own home. It’s a place for relaxation, entertainment, and social activity set aside from the rest of the house to provide a more comfortable atmosphere.

We could all do with a little more leisure these days, so why not consider designing such a room in your own home? You can call it whatever you like, but for the sake of convenience I’m sticking with man cave. More importantly, here are my tips on how to make it perfect.

Go With Soft Carpeting

Let’s be honest. You’re going to the Man Cave because you want to relax, not because you want to show off your beautiful hardwood floor to your guests. That’s not to say it shouldn’t look nice, but this is one area in which you should prioritize comfort. Opt for a soft carpet that will help to encourage relaxation. You’ll be happy about it when you’re burrowing your toes into the material on a movie night.

Get Smart

Yes, I’m talking about “smart home” elements. You don’t need to go crazy with these, but it’s a good idea to pack a few of them into a modern man cave. That might mean a smart thermostat that learns and acts on your preferences while conserving energy, or it may mean light bulbs that can change color and brightness. You might even consider a smart refrigerator that can alert you when you’re running low on things you might want in the room, like beer.

Whatever the case you should think about getting a speaker/assistant pod that can help you operate smart features. Amazon and Google already have these devices (Echo and Google Home), and Apple is coming out with one. There’s already debate over which home pod is best, and you may want to read up before you make a purchase. But having this kind of setup in your man cave is a nice way to keep it modern.

Avoid The Poker Table

A poker table is a popular addition to a man cave, and if you’re a major poker player by all means go ahead. But these are tacky furnishings, and they tend to take up a lot of space also. Plus, they kind of limit your activity! Even if you like to play cards, it’s blackjack that’s widely considered the world’s most popular game in casinos.

And what if you want a table to play different games on? It could be Monopoly, Risk, or Settlers of Catan. I’d recommend opting for an ordinary table that looks nice and fits in with the room. It’s more versatile and a little less gaudy than a typical poker table.

Mount A Flat Screen

This one is pretty straightforward. If you have a TV on a stand, the room is going to look more like a dorm room. Mounting your TV makes for a cleaner look, and also gives you more options when it comes to the actual design of the room.

You can have it on a wall by itself, inside a cabinet where it can be shut out if it’s not in use, or even placed among shelves and other decorations such that it simply blends in when it’s not on.

Paint The Walls Strategically

You want this space to feel comfortable, uncomplicated, and relaxing. The paint job you choose for the walls can go a long way toward accomplishing that goal. Believe it or not, people have actually written about specific colors for man cave walls, generally pointing to dimmer tones. It doesn’t need to be dark or dreary in the space, but you do want at least a mild den-like aesthetic. There should be a slightly insulated feel to the room.

Seating Is The Most Important Thing

Finally, and I can’t stress this enough: get comfortable couches and chairs! The whole point is to relax (in case that wasn’t clear already), and you can’t relax in stiff chairs or uncomfortable couches. Usually you don’t even need to spend large amounts of money to find cozy furniture. You just need to be diligent about the search. At any rate, this is the most important part of any modern man cave. The rest is more about personal taste.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine. For a while now, we’ve been working on updating the furniture in my son’s room. We didn’t want to go all out for a makeover, but acknowledged the fact that some pieces needed to be changed. One of the most important things that needed upgrading was Henry’s seating. He wanted seating that was comfortable as well as stylishly cool for a teen’s room. We shopped around for something that was just the right sizing, softness, and color. We found it is tough finding stylishly comfortable seating solutions for your teen.

Lux Comfort Seating

Lucky for us, we learned about Comfort Research’s new collection of chairs known as the Lux line. Their chairs are filled with UltimaX beans, which are Comfort Research’s very own creation. UltimaX beans are crush-resistant bean-bag fillers. They keep the chairs permanently “fluffed” so they’ll never lose their shape and structure. Not to mention, Lux’s fabrics are known to be of top quality. The combo of rich fabrics and strong fillers make for the perfect (and most comfortable!) bean bag chairs.

Stylishly Comfortable Seating For Your Teen

When you browse the Lux catalogue, you’ll find that these chairs are completely customizable. You can choose your fabric color/pattern and style of chair to create seating that is unique to your room and taste. I could just picture the Large Milano in a sophisticated library/office setting.

The XLarge Fuf in the Cobalt Blue was perfect for Henry’s room. He calls it his Big Blue Cloud! It is perfect for him to play his video games on, browsing on his iPad or hanging out with Caitlin. Comfort Research is based in the heart of West Michigan. Their goal is to provide customers with affordable yet, stylish and high-quality furniture.

They strive to make their products innovative and modern. I also love the fact that they stay on top of being environmentally-friendly. They are all about sustainability in every aspect of their business, which is something I look for when purchasing from a brand. Make sure to follow Comfort Research on social media! You can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Do any of your rooms need a furniture upgrade? Which room and for who would it be for? What are your thoughts on bean bag chairs?

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. Do you prefer store bought or handmade holiday decorations? We have a mix of both. Many of our ornaments were made by the kids and I. For home decorations, I have a few cute items we have made over the years. The one thing I was lacking was a nice serving tray for drinks. So, with the products from Dixie Bell Paint and a few items from my craft bin, I made this festive DIY Monogrammed Wooden Christmas Tray.

I love the products from Dixie Belle because they are affordable and you can do so much with them! You can make so many cute crafts with your kids for the holidays, like our DIY Monogrammed Wooden Christmas Tray. You don’t need to prep, sand or prime your surface before adding your favorite Dixie Bell Paint product. Their mineral paint is made from the highest quality materials, and come in a rainbow of beautiful colors.

Caitlin and I were impressed with the deep, rich color of our Barn Red Mineral Paint. The paint comes in three sizes; 8, 16 or 32 ounces and range in price from $9.95 to $32.95. The paint dries quickly in a flat finish, which was perfect for our DIY Monogrammed Wooden Christmas Tray. We sealed the tray with their Gloss Clear Coat, which comes in the same sizes as the paint. It retails from $12.95 to $31.95. We did all this great work using the Small Dixie Bell Paint Brush, which retails for $18.99. This brush is so well made, it will last us for years!

Anther reason to love the products from Dixie Bell Paint is because they are eco=friendly. You will not find any VOC’s. They are water based and non-toxic and are made right here in the USA. You can choose from metallic paints, glazes, waxes, clear coat finishes, stencils and the new Dixie Mud product for a 3-dimensional look. You can also adjust the consistency of their products. You can make them as thick or as thin as you want, just by adding water. Most pieces will take one to two coats for full coverage/ For the shabby chic lover in the bunch, you can create a rustic distressed look.

What You Will Need to make your DIY Monogrammed Wooden Christmas Tray::

Step Two: Cut one piece of scrapbook paper to fit inside the tray. Adhere to tray with your Mod Podge. Allow to dry. Cut another piece of paper, as wide as the tray and 5″ tall. Fit this piece of paper inside the tray, about 2″ from the bottom. Adhere with Mod Podge and allow to dry.

Step Three: Using a stencil, cut out your monogram with your remaining paper. You can do just one initial or you can do your three initials. If you do the three initials, cut the first and third letters from one piece of the remaining paper and the middle letter from the other. Adhere with Mod Podge and allow to dry.

Step Four: Using your Dixie Bell Gloss Clear Coat, apply a thin, even layer to your tray. I did two coats, just to be sure. Allow to dry 24 hours before using your tray.

Now you are ready to serve your favorite holiday food or drinks on your newly made DIY Monogrammed Wooden Christmas Tray! Be sure to follow Dixie Bell Paint on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. One USA reader will win a Dixie Bell Paint gift pack ARV $40.

Do you have a DIY project in mind you can use the Dixie Bell Paint products on? Please tell me about it in the comments below!

This review is based strictly on my opinion. I was provided the sample free of charge by the company to provide my honest review. No other type of compensation was received. All ideas and opinions are my own. I have a Christmas ornament that is almost 40 years old! I made it when I was in Girl Scouts. I have decorations my kids made, some of which are almost 30 years old. I love keepsakes like these, don’t you? Each year, we make a new holiday decoration or ornament to add to our collection. This year, we are making a festive Washi Tape Mason Jar Bands Christmas Wreath.

Making Childhood Memories

My mom was a Girl Scout troop leader when I was five or six. One of my favorite activities was arts and crafts time. Once a month, we would make a fun craft. Depending on the time of year, the craft would be holiday inspired. One year, we made felt mitten Christmas ornaments, using our hands as a template. One year we made a sequined ornament with a beautiful velvet ribbon. We hung these handmade treasures on the Christmas tree each year. I still have these childhood mementos and hang them on our family tree every year.

Oriental Trading For Inspiration

Through the years, my kids have made many holiday decorations, both for the house and the tree. Even though my kids are into their teens, they still love to help me create holiday crafts. Caitlin wanted to make something special for her teachers this year. I decided to browse through the Christmas decor and craft ideas fromOriental Trading. When I need inspiration, Oriental Trading is my go-to place to shop!

Step Two: Twist the ends of two chenille stems together to form one long chenille stem. Thread the mason jars onto the chenille stem. Twist the chenille stem ends together tightly to form the wreath.

Step Three: Use the ribbons to create a hanger and bow.

Now you are ready to brighten up your kid’s classroom, your office or your home! We have our hung on the back door. Make sure to stay connected with Oriental Trading on social media through Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and Instagram!

One USA reader will win a $15 Oriental Trading Gift Card. Good luck and happy holidays!